


Sworn

by olivemartini



Series: Percabeth [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance, percabeth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2016-08-13
Packaged: 2018-08-08 10:53:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7754920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/olivemartini/pseuds/olivemartini
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Annabeth only swore on the River Styx once, back when she was thirteen years old.  It's been the only oath that she never had trouble keeping.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sworn

When she was thirteen, Annabeth had sworn on the River Styx that she would do her best to keep Percy safe, like there was any other option.

Sometimes, like when she's stitching up his arm and cursing him in ancient greek for being so damn stupid, she remembers it. How she had to force the words out through the lump in her throat.  How Chiron had this look in his eye, the way he does when a camper doesn't come back or he has to talk about past heroes, and Annabeth wished he would have the heart to look like he would see her again.  How Percy was beside her, in this safe haven of a camp that wasn't so safe, and it was her fault, because she had dragged him right back into the thick of things when he should have stayed in Manhattan.

A lot of people were scared to make oaths like that, but Annabeth wasn't.  She knew the risks, understood that if she failed there would be a cancer like curse settling into her bones, waiting its time to strike, but that didn't phase her.  All she saw was another way to tie herself to Percy, one more reason to follow him into every quest and bad decision he decides to throw himself at. 

Thinking about Percy and his prophecy used to scare her, but as she made the oath ( _my best to protect him, always, anything so he's safe_ ), Annabeth realized what it was about.  Percy was the one in the prophecy.  Percy would make the decision to save the world.  He would be this generation's greatest hero, slaying monsters and taking care of everyone else.  All Annabeth had to do was take care of him.

And she did.  Most of the time, she could feel where he was at like a sixth sense, an itch under her skin.  When they were in battle, there was never an awkward misstep- they were an extension of each other, like Annabeth was the most dangerous weapon Percy possessed.  It was like that at home, too, finishing each other's thoughts and moving to accommodate the other without ever having to exchange a word.  Even without the vow, she would have felt the need to protect him in every heart beat.  It's there in the pit of her stomach as she hears of each new prophecy, in the scramble to learn everything she can because every monster in the world will be coming after him, in the tug at her heart as his face becomes more accustomed to having blood on it than a smile.  She wants, more than anything, to hide him away on an island where no one can find him, because she cannot take the way he swallows his pain in favor of getting the job done.  Someone has to protect him, so Annabeth took it upon herself to be his constant companion, like it or not, because there's no way a kelp head like him could make it in the real world on his own.

She still stands by the idea that even the most skilled warrior has to bow to the wise.

Staring at him now, with the blood stained cloths piled in the sink and a sheepish smile on his face, Annabeth thinks nothing much has changed.  It's hard, sometimes, dealing with everything the world seems to throw at the two them (they're a package deal, finally) but she doesn't mind.  There are worse promises to have made.


End file.
